Louisiana is, once again, at the bottom of the nation when
it comes to health. According to an annual report from the United Health
Foundation, released Dec. 11,
Louisiana is tied with Mississippi at 49th as the least-healthy
state in the country.

Louisiana was 50th in 2011.

One of the major factors contributing to the ranking was the
high prevalence of obesity, diabetes and sedentary lifestyles in the state. A
third of Louisiana's adult population, or 1.2 million people, is obese, the
report said.

The report also takes into consideration factors including
percentages of children living in poverty, infant mortality rates and rates of
preventable hospitalizations.

More public dollars are being spent on health, with an
increase in public health funding from $69 to $102 per person over the past
five years, the report said.

One area of progress could be in preventable
hospitalizations. Louisiana still has one of the highest rates of preventable
hospitalizations, but the rate declined from 114.8 to 92.1 discharges per 1,000
Medicare enrollees over the last 10 years.

The report did note some strengths for Louisiana: a low
prevalence of binge drinking, and high immunization coverage.